Verizon gets iPhone, but without 4G

Here’s the official news about Verizon’s Jan. 11 introduction of the Apple iPhone, due in that firm’s stores in about a month, taken from a news release issued by the company Tuesday morning:

Verizon Wireless and Apple today announced that the iPhone 4 will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning on Thursday, February 10. Qualified Verizon Wireless customers will be given the exclusive opportunity to pre-order iPhone 4 online on February 3, ahead of general availability.

iPhone 4 is the most innovative phone in the world, featuring Apple’s stunning Retina display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone resulting in super crisp text, images and video, and FaceTime, which makes video calling a reality. iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless will also include new Personal Hotspot capabilities allowing customers to use iPhone 4 to connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices.

“We are pleased to introduce millions of wireless users to the industry leading iPhone 4 on the nation’s most reliable network,” said Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon [in remarks published in the statement]. “This is an important step for the industry as two great companies join forces to give wireless customers one of the most important technological additions to the mobile landscape this century.”

“Verizon Wireless customers have told us they can’t wait to get their hands on iPhone 4, and we think they are going to love it,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer [in the statement]. “We have enormous respect for the company Verizon has built and the loyalty they have earned from their customers.”

… iPhone 4 will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning Thursday, February 10 for a suggested retail price of $199.99 for the 16GB model and $299.99 for the 32GB model with a new two year customer agreement. iPhone 4 will be available at more than 2,000 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide, online at www.verizonwireless.com/iphone, at Apple Retail Stores, at the Apple Store (www.apple.com), at Apple Authorized Resellers, and by calling 1-800-2 JOIN IN.

SEE RELATED:

That’s good news, as far as it goes, but there’s something missing: 4G LTE wireless connectivity, which Verizon has crowed is much better than the 3G service others use. And, the CDMA wireless standard used by Verizon isn’t as available globally as the GSM standard used by AT&T.

Oddly enough, the older iPhone network made just those points, however subtly, in a rather concise statement: “For iPhone users who want the fastest speeds, the ability to talk and use apps at the same time, and unsurpassed global coverage, the only choice is AT&T,” that firm said.